Published : 08 Sep 2024, 08:33 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 11:51 AM
As many as eight workers injured in an explosion at the SN Corporation shipbreaking yard in Sitakunda, Chattogram have been transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment.
Due to worsening conditions, they were taken to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka around 5pm on Saturday.
Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, head of the burns unit at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, told bdnews24.com that 10 of the 12 workers sustained burns ranging from 10 to 90 percent of their bodies.
All have their airways damaged, while the other two have hearing issues, he added.
On Saturday, around 11:30am, an explosion occurred at a ship's pump house during maintenance work, leading to a fire.
The blast resulted in 12 people being burned.
Kamal Uddin, chief of Sitakunda Police Station, said: “The cause of the explosion is still unclear. We are investigating the matter.”
One of the injured workers, Rafiqul Islam, said: “There was a sudden loud explosion, and a fire broke out. Since then, I have been barely able to hear."
Habib, another injured worker, had his wife, Samina Akhter, by his bedside.
She said she received a phone call about her husband’s injury and rushed to the hospital with their children, feeling unsure of what to do next.
SN Corporation, a shipbreaking yard, is a member of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association, or BSBRA.
BSRBA Secretary Nazmul Islam said: "This is a certified green yard. We are investigating why the accident occurred."
Barkat Ullah, the corporation’s CEO, said: “Shipbreaking is conducted following all safety and security measures. The ship's dismantling documents were all in order. We still do not know why the explosion occurred.”
